A-J staffer Simmons receives state honor

The Lubbock-Cooper Independent School District nominated Simmons for the honor roll, which recognizes journalists statewide for fair and balanced reporting of news about public schools, according to the association.

"I really enjoyed working with the Lubbock-Cooper Independent School District," said Simmons, who covered schools for The A-J for a year and is now the newspaper's online editor. "The district was always accepting of the story ideas I had."

Tracy Simmons

The district recognized Simmons on Thursday during its board meeting.

"We think she has done a very good job of providing coverage of Lubbock-Cooper," Superintendent Pat Henderson said, adding that Simmons is an open and honest journalist.

He said she pursued a variety of stories, ranging from human interest to news.

Simmons said she had a good relationship with the superintendent and the director of public information, Jo Ellen Henderson.

A-J Editor Terry Greenberg praised Simmons.

"We are very proud of Tracy's work since she joined us last year," he said. "And she continues to do a nice job in her new role in our online department."